The Claim: Honey is a healthy alternative to sugar. It is packed with nutrients and better for diabetics.
Studies show a spoonful of honey eases coughs in kids over 1 year old. Photocuisine
The Verdict: Honey does have more nutrients—including antioxidants—than ordinary refined sugar, nutritionists say, but it isn't better for diabetics, as it still raises blood sugar. Health benefits of honey are mostly unproven, though some studies show taking a spoonful eases coughs in children over a year old and helps them sleep.
Honey contains 21 calories a teaspoon, compared with 16 calories for refined white sugar, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutrient database. It is slightly sweeter than sugar, meaning you can use a little less, nutritionists say. It contains small amounts of vitamins—including vitamin C and folate—and minerals such as magnesium, while white sugar is nearly devoid of nutrients, according to the database.
Replacing table sugar with honey may have "modest benefits" nutritionally, says Toby Smithson, a Vernon Hills, Ill., dietitian and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But diabetics, who are advised to carefully limit carbohydrate intake, are better off using their carb budgets for fiber-rich foods, such as oatmeal, or fruits, such as apples, she adds.
Both table sugar and honey cause blood sugar to rise, which can be an issue for diabetics. Honey breaks down in the body "a little more slowly" than sugar, says Amanda Kirpitch, a nutritionist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, but not enough to make a practical difference.
One benefit of honey is its antioxidants, nutrients that scientists believe may slow cellular damage caused by unstable molecules or atoms called free radicals. A 2009 study, published in the journal of the American Dietetic Association, found eight samples of supermarket honey had "intermediate" antioxidant activity. Specifically, honey had more antioxidant activity than refined white sugar, which had nearly zero, but less activity than dark and blackstrap molasses, which had the most of all the sweeteners tested.
Study author Katherine M. Phillips, senior research scientist at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Food Analysis Laboratory Control Center in Blacksburg, Va., says honey still has far fewer antioxidants per serving than antioxidant-rich foods such as red wine, blueberries or walnuts.
It isn't known how honey helps coughs and sore throats, says Pennsylvania State University pediatrics professor Ian M. Paul. Dr. Paul was the author of a 2007 study of 105 children that found honey was effective at calming coughs. It's possible the antioxidants in honey boost the immune system, or it could be simply that it coats the back of the throat, which becomes irritated during the common cold, he says. Dr. Paul's study, published in 2007 in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, was sponsored by the National Honey Board, an industry-funded group that operates under the USDA's oversight.
In a study of 300 children published last year in the journal Pediatrics, Israeli researchers found a spoonful of honey a half-hour before bedtime was more effective at reducing coughs and improving sleep than a placebo syrup. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend giving honey to children under a year old because it can contain bacteria that causes infant botulism.